Sex and Tech Align at Pavilion Financial Planning

Jessica Goedtel, owner of Pavilion Financial Planning and a finalist for the RIA Intel Client Advocate of the Year award, told RIA Intel that going solo has allowed her to speak out about issues that are important to her.

Jessica Goedtel (Courtesy Photo)

Jessica Goedtel

(Courtesy Photo)

In the run-up to naming the winners of the inaugural RIA Intel Awards on September 14, 2022, RIA Intel will publish short features highlighting the accomplishments of this year’s nominees and Rising Stars.

Jessica Goedtel, owner of Pavilion Financial Planning, a Pennsylvania-based RIA with a little over $1 million in AUM, has a unique specialty: financial planning for tech workers and sex workers. She said that she’s worked with both specialties over the years, and when she thought about the clients with whom she really liked to work, those two categories stood out. “It’s kind of a weird combination, but I love it. It keeps me up every day, and it’s a great job,” she said.

Goedtel spoke to us about the unique challenges of her business and how solo RIAs are helping spur conversation and change in the industry. Responses have been edited for clarity and length.

Are there any interesting overlaps between the financial needs of sex and tech workers?

From a financial planning perspective, there are obviously a lot of differences with taxes and things like that, but one of the uniters that I found is that most of the people I talk to are really overwhelmed by their money. They know how to go out there and do things, know how to make magic happen, but when it comes to their money, it’s just not something on their radar. I also tend to work with people who are generally pretty progressive. They want to align their money with their values, and to be able to give to charities that mean a lot to them. For them, it’s not a matter of making as much money as humanly possible — it’s more about living a life of intention.

What are the most important trends that you’re seeing and wealth management or financial planning?

One trend that we’re seeing right now in the industry is the question of who is speaking at events, and what do those speakers look like? Traditionally it’s been very white and male. So now we’re seeing broader pushes to bring more people of color and women into different conferences. However, despite years of pushing in that direction, women and people of color are still severely underrepresented in our industry, and that still needs to be addressed.

With these big industry pushes and initiatives, why has the industry still been so slow to change?

Honestly, I think it comes down to people not wanting to offend other people. We saw this recently with the Roe v. Wade decision. A lot of financial planners spoke about how that was something they didn’t want to talk about with their clients for fear of offending or alienating them. And that really pushes down the conversation. So one of the opportunities I’m finding as a sole financial planner with a very distinct core offering is that I can say the things that are important to me and bring light to conversations that in the past have been pushed out. I am seeing a lot more financial planners speaking out and being more authentic, but I just think that traditionally, most financial planning or advisory firms are used to serving thousands of clients, and they feel that they can’t afford to offend any clients or potential clients.

The inaugural RIA Intel Awards is a celebration of financial advisors, wealth management firms, and industry leaders. Winners will be on announced on RIAIntel.com September 14, 2022 and will be honored in-person at upcoming RIA Institute Forums.

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